Climate Accountability Litigation
Simon Greenstone Panatier is proud to be on the frontlines of essential cases. Reports of extreme and unnatural weather events are becoming commonplace in our news cycles, and based on the science these extreme events will continue to get worse and more frequent. Many of these events are scientifically linked, based on consensus science, to anthropogenic climate change. (source https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/) The major contributor to anthropogenic climate change is fossil fuel activity. (source https://www.ipcc.ch/) Our response to getting justice for those communities impacted by these man-made climate catastrophes—Climate Accountability lawsuits.
Climate Accountability lawsuits are not new, but Simon Greenstone Panatier’s decades of trial experience in toxic torts, mass torts, and catastrophic injuries, provide SGP with unique perspectives and insights in how to prosecute to these cases.
In June and July of 2021, the Pacific Northwest (PNW) experienced an extreme heatwave including a “heat dome” like none that the region had ever seen before. Temperatures exceed historic levels for several days without intermittent nighttime cooling. Most of the region is unequipped to handle these types of temperatures over such a long time. It caused havoc across the region and many people died as a result.
In the wake of this mass catastrophic event, one thing was clear, leading climate scientists agreed that the 2021 PNW heatwave was made more severe and more likely because of anthropogenic climate change.
On June 22, 2023, Simon Greenstone Panatier and Worthington & Caron filed a Climate Accountability lawsuit on behalf of Multnomah County, Oregon to hold the companies responsible for this pollution accountable for the harms they caused. Utilizing traditional tort theories, the lawsuit seeks past damages, future damages, and equitable relief. More information about the Multnomah County lawsuit can be found here: https://www.multco.us/climate-accountability
Simon Greenstone Panatier continues to evaluate additional claims related to the 2021 PNW heatwave, and other extreme weather events related to anthropogenic climate change.